Kaduna, June 23, 2026 — The Kaduna State Ministry of Health, in partnership with Sightsavers, has begun preparations for a large-scale treatment exercise aimed at reaching over one million children in a campaign against schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease also known as bilharzia.
The initiative was flagged off with a two-day stakeholder planning session focused on strategies for implementing the upcoming mass drug administration across the state.
Speaking at the event in Kaduna on Tuesday, the State Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Zainab Haruna, said the programme is intended to protect school-aged children who are most at risk of infection and often have limited access to treatment.
She explained that the target group covers children between five and 14 years, noting that they remain the most vulnerable due to lack of income and limited access to healthcare services.
According to her, the intervention will be implemented across all 23 local government areas, with attention on wards classified as endemic for the disease.
Haruna said treatment schedules would follow World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines based on the level of endemicity in each community.
She noted that low-endemic wards will be treated once every three years, moderate-endemic wards annually, while highly endemic areas will receive treatment twice yearly. She added that fewer than five wards in the state fall under the high-endemic category.
She further disclosed that implementation will involve a coordinated workforce, including state-level officials, 23 local government NTD coordinators and supervisors to oversee field activities.
In addition, 169 health workers will be trained across endemic wards, while 6,064 Community Drug Distributors (CDDs) will be deployed to administer Praziquantel, the drug used for treating schistosomiasis.
Haruna identified inadequate incentives for community drug distributors as one of the key challenges affecting NTD interventions in the state.
Also speaking, Senior Programme Officer for NTDs at Sightsavers, Tabitha Kane, said the organisation’s support extends beyond funding to include technical, operational and capacity-building assistance.
She explained that Sightsavers works closely with the state health ministry from planning through implementation and monitoring to ensure compliance with best practices.
Kane said the organisation provides training for health workers and programme implementers, including a cascade model where trained personnel are expected to train others at lower levels.
According to her, the training covers treatment protocols, drug administration, reporting systems and community engagement approaches required for effective campaign delivery.
She added that such capacity-building efforts are essential to ensuring smooth and effective implementation of the programme across communities and schools.
The Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr Hamza Ibrahim, noted that insecurity in some communities has previously limited access for health teams during immunisation and treatment exercises.
Represented by Mrs Zuwaira Abbas of the State Primary Health Care Board, he said improved planning and collaboration with security agencies have been integrated into the current campaign strategy.
He explained that localised action plans have been developed to ensure better reach, especially in hard-to-access areas.
Abbas also said security personnel within communities will support health teams during drug distribution to ensure safety and smooth implementation.
She further highlighted delays in the supply of vaccines and medical commodities as a challenge during previous campaigns, adding that steps are being taken to improve timely distribution from federal to state level.
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection transmitted through contact with contaminated freshwater and remains a major public health concern in several endemic communities, particularly among school-aged children.